For the first time this season, McLaren failed to reach the podium. After a start to the championship dominated by race performance—with a haul of seven wins from nine rounds—Canada marked the team’s first setback, breaking a positive streak that had seen them on the podium at every prior race.
This setback was more in terms of results than pure performance: while McLaren was never truly in contention for the win in Montréal—partly due to its starting position—it still maintained good pace, remaining in the top positions even before the Safety Car intervention.
This confirms an important point: even on more difficult weekends, the MCL39 proves to be the most versatile car on the grid. Mercedes has gone through very difficult weekends, such as Jeddah or Imola; Red Bull, in some races, has finished well off the podium; and Ferrari has often found itself chasing from behind.
Even in what McLaren itself defined as the most difficult weekend of the season, the MCL39 managed to stay at the front, fully in the fight for the podium—a result that, without the final intra-team duel, would likely have been within reach. A situation reminiscent of the Red Bull RB19 in 2023, confirming the great versatility of the design.
Unable to exploit low-speed corner performance
But what made the Montréal weekend the most complicated of the year for McLaren? The Woking team has often excelled in low-speed sections, so expectations were high for a solid MCL39 on the Canadian circuit. Yet that wasn’t the case. It becomes important, then, to make a distinction: not all slow corners are the same, and each presents different characteristics and challenges.
Up to two years ago, slow corners were one of Woking’s major weaknesses, with the cars suffering from marked understeer during cornering: the slower and longer the turn, the more trouble they had, highlighting design flaws. With the MCL38—especially from mid-season on—this aspect became one of McLaren’s strengths.
Today, the longer a slow corner is, the more the MCL39 can make a difference, thanks to its precise and effective front end compared to rivals. However, even though Canada has several low-speed corners, they are not long corners but rather stop-and-go in nature, emphasizing braking and traction—areas where Mercedes has often performed well in 2024.
It’s no coincidence that front graining has always been a major issue in Montréal, not only due to the often dirty track surface but also because of the lack of corners that transfer significant energy to the tires. As a result, not only is it harder to generate tire temperature, but McLaren also struggled in one of its key strengths.
The MCL39 appeared too nervous
This shifted focus onto other aspects, like braking performance and traction—with braking zones proving one of McLaren’s main issues over the weekend. In qualifying, Oscar Piastri consistently lost time under braking compared to rivals, managing to beat Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari only thanks to a flawless final chicane, which he tackled with considerable risk.
On a track more treacherous than it appears, the MCL39 looked nervous from the very first Friday sessions, pushing drivers to the limit and at times causing errors. It’s no secret that, despite its potential, the McLaren isn’t the easiest car to manage in qualifying, as shown at other venues. Therefore, it was not surprising that it didn’t perform its best over one lap in Canada.
The team tried experimenting with setup, testing different solutions and dedicating part of Friday to direct comparisons of updates like the redesigned front wing aimed at improving airflow management—before shelving it. Despite progress, taming the MCL39 was no easy task for the drivers. Additionally, the choice of the C6 compound in Q3 didn’t deliver the expected advantage.
In Montréal, starting position proved crucial, especially with Piastri falling to fourth at lights out, overtaken by Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The situation was even trickier for Lando Norris, who, starting only seventh, had to rely on an alternative strategy.
50°C track temperatures, but degradation wasn’t an issue
Despite good pace, both McLaren drivers found themselves having to chase, turning into hunters rather than prey, without being able to rely on tire degradation management—the key weapon that had brought MCL39 so much success elsewhere.
Montréal’s smooth tarmac, which limits overheating and wear, along with the corner types, had a dual effect. On one hand, it reduced thermal degradation, as the tires moved and heated up less than on high-speed corners. On the other, the lack of high-energy turns made graining a key factor.
Taking a step back, front-end graining has long been one of McLaren’s main issues, and even this year, their toughest races have been those where this phenomenon has emerged—particularly on the front tires. While many were concerned about rear grip, the papaya duo felt most limited by front-end performance.
McLaren has long stood out for its ability to manage core tire temperatures—at the innermost part of the rubber—with benefits that also translated to the outer layer. But in Canada, rivals were more effective in this area, to the point that even with very soft compounds, they didn’t experience the usual issues.
Despite 50°C track temperatures, the numbers need context. The circuit layout, with slow corners, heavy braking zones, and long straights that cool the tires, created conditions that exposed the MCL39’s weak points. Yet even in a tough weekend, McLaren stayed in the podium fight, never falling out of contention—a clear testament to the strength and adaptability of the design.
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